The air hung heavy around my face and shoulders as I wandered through Jamestown. I wondered what the first English to try and live in such a climate thought. I know that my thoughts weren’t necessarily, shall we say, positive. I tried imagining wearing a corset and heavy skirt. My tank top and capris weren’t giving me enough air, how could a thick long skirt have been bearable?
Hours later I stood on the battlefields of Yorktown. How could such a small, ragtag army actually defend, let alone find victory, against the world’s greatest army of the day? Courage? A dream? Providence.
Throughout the rest of the week, we were in the District of Columbia. It’s always amazing to me to see the buildings, the history, the beauty. At every turn I was struck with wonder at our country, so new and young. Other countries I’ve been to boast histories of hundreds of years of story, while we just sit at a handful of years. The journey was amazing to see, and I’m thankful for the opportunity to have relived our history right before the 4th of July.
Here are a few random pictures from my week. They don’t all go together per say, but I do like the story they tell.
These are church benches at the chapel at Jamestown. I couldn’t imagine sitting here for an hour each week, let alone all day on Sunday and evening services every other day.
The oddity and beauty of Williamsburg, the Colonies’ capital
This is at one of my favorite places, Mount Vernon, our first president’s home
Arlington National Cemetery. The idea of placing a stone on a grave comes from the book of Joshua in the Bible, where the Israelites were instructed to put up large stones in order to remember what God had done. To place a stone on a grave means “I remember”. It brought tears to my eyes to see pebbles on top of loved ones graves. They are gone, but not forgotten.
Another of my favorite places is the World War II Monument. My grandfather served in the war, and was forever changed by it. I am so thankful that the memory of all who served is now peacefully resting in this beautiful monument.
Looking back at the Lincoln monument from the WWII monument.
The Vietnam monument
The camera of a photographer that captured the moments of 9/11, and then died in the disaster
Our Capital building, crowned by the statue “Freedom.” She looks East, because the sun never sets on Freedom
There is joy and sadness in our story. nonetheless, it is a great story.
Happy Independence Day.
